


rewind, rewind, rewind

by i_was_human



Series: D.Min Week 2021 [4]
Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: D.Min Week 2021, Fluff, Gen, No Beta, Time Travel, casual time loop, the one where dongho pspspses his younger self into joining hce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29536818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/pseuds/i_was_human
Summary: "What?" he breathes, and his older self - it must be, the resemblance is too uncanny for it to be anything else - simply smiles enigmatically."Nice to meet you. Come walk with me."And Dongho, fool he is, stumbles after him.
Relationships: Kang Dongho | D.Min & Lee Minsoo
Series: D.Min Week 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167335
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8
Collections: D.Min Birthday Week 2021





	rewind, rewind, rewind

God, it's cold.

Dongho rubs his hands together as another fleck of snow lands in his hair, and he shivers, blowing into his palms to try and warm them a bit.

He never should've left L.A. 

He never- he never should've left, should've stayed, because even if he wouldn't've been able to chase his dream, he'd at least be _alive_ and not _freezing to death in an alley_ because he's out of money and his jacket's way too thin for this weather and-

"You need somewhere to go?"

His initial response is _no, no he doesn't_ , because nobody who offers a place to stay is _not_ someone whose offer you want to accept, but he raises his head, and his rebuke dies on his tongue.

It's his dad.

It's his dad, with snow flecked in his dark hair and a winter jacket hanging off his shoulders, and Dongho _cannot breathe_.

"...Dad?"

The man's lips quirk into a smile, and any resemblance dies in an instant. 

His father would _never_ smile like that - would never smile, _period_ \- and the more Dongho looks, the more he sees something familiar.

Slanted eyes, dark hair, a sharp jaw-

it's _him_.

"What?" he breathes, and his older self - it _must be_ , the resemblance is too uncanny for it to be anything else - simply smiles enigmatically. 

"Nice to meet you. Come walk with me."

And Dongho, fool he is, stumbles after him.

* * *

"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm out here?"

"I'm you," his older self points out, and Dongho wilts a bit. "I know exactly why you're here. Out of money, nowhere to stay tonight, worried you're gonna freeze to death-"

"Stop!"

"Heh," his older self hums, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "It really is cold, though. Minsoo-yah would hate it."

"Minsoo?"

His older self hums again, turning his gaze to the sky. "You'll make it, y'know."

The non-sequitur takes a moment to register, but as soon as it does, Dongho chokes on air.

"Wh-"

"You can relax a bit," his older self continues, wisps of frozen air escaping his lips. "Trust your friends. You're not in this alone."

"...'s easy for you to say," Dongho mumbles, grimacing as a fresh bit of frozen water seeps into his shoes. "You're an _idol_."

"I'm you," his older self points out, and Dongho scowls. 

"Yeah, but you're _older_."

"Doesn't mean I'm not you."

"Hn..."

They walk in silence for a few minutes, Dongho's gaze pinned on his worn-out sneakers as his older self stares at the sky, expression unreadable. It's not _amicable_ , per say, but it's comforting - familiar, if not well-known.

"...what can you tell me about the future?"

"We're in a group called MAYHEM," his older self easily replies, "and the leader, Minsoo-yah - he's a year younger than us - he's our best friend. The maknae, Daehyun-ah, is four years younger than us, and Jaewon-ah is three."

"Wow..."

"It's hard," his older self continues, "opening up to them and trusting them. Especially 'cause Minsoo-yah is so... so _Minsoo_."

Dongho almost asks what that means, but opts not to ask. 

"Still," his older self finishes, "it's worth it. Trying, I mean. You'll know when you meet him."

They come to a stop in front of a small building, and Dongho stares at it for a moment, eyes wide.

Is his older self really going to pay for him to stay the night here?

"Here," the older man murmurs, and Dongho blinks as a wad of bills land in his hand.

Holy fuck, he is.

"Why- what?"

"You're my past self," his future self repeats, as if that explains anything. "Oh, and High Class Entertainment is holding auditions just down the street tomorrow. You should go."

Dongho can recognize a command when he hears it, and this is _not that_.

Still, if his future self is telling it to him, he might as well listen.

"I will," he vows, and his future self smiles once more before patting his head.

Oh.

Nice to know he still does that, at least.

"You'll be alright," the older man murmurs, and somehow, in this moment, _Dongho believes him_. 

And with that, the man disappears, stepping away and vanishing into the snow.

Dongho stares at the place he was standing for a moment, gaze flitting from the bootprints in the snow to the end of the street, before he turns, clutching the money as he heads into the hostel.

His future self paid for this, after all, and far be it from him to waste his money.

* * *

For some reason, he does, in fact, go to the audition the next day.

He's sitting against the wall, gaze pinned on his feet, when a boy flops down next to him, one earbud hanging out of his ear and the other clutched in his hand.

"Hey! What's your name?"

He stares at the boy for a second, taking in the brown hair and fiery eyes, and against all logic, he answers with the truth.

"Kang Dongho."

"I'm Lee Minsoo," the boy grins, pressing his earbud into Dongho's hand. "Here! Check this out!"

 _"Minsoo,"_ his older self had said, the faintest hint of fondness in his eyes. _"He's our best friend."_

And, well-

his older self hasn't lied to him thus far.

He presses the earbud into his ear, eyes widening at the sight of a familiar song. "Is this-"

"You know them too?" Minsoo gasps, jolting forwards to grasp the collar of his sweatshirt. "That's it- when we both pass, we're going to be _best friends_."

"When?" Dongho asks, and Minsoo nods.

"Yeah! Gotta go in with confidence, y'know?"

...what a strange guy.

"Sure," Dongho hums, gaze flitting to the ceiling. "We can be friends."

"I said best friends!" Minsoo squawks, lips pursing in a pout. "That's it- I'm taking back my offer."

"Fine with me."

"You suck!"

And _yeah_ , Dongho thinks, closing his eyes and losing himself in the music, _I can see how this person is going to be my best friend._

Better him than some sort of guitar troll, anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> this was written for day four of d.min week 2021! prompt: past/future
> 
> fic title from rewind by oneus
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/i_was_human_) | [lit fic discord!](https://discord.gg/CNunB74)


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